Phonograph



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PHONOGRAPH Filed Nov. 23, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 /N VEN TOR Juno/v YER/(O V/CH \Dr 61%, aw WW9 S. YERKOVICH PHONOGRAPH May 11, 1943.

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s. YERKOVICH 2,318,828

PHONOGRAPH Filed Nov. 23, 1940 16 Sheefis-Sheet 13 /NVENTOR @M, v/ y A TTOQNE YJ May 11, 1943. s. YERKOVICH PHONOGRAPH Filed Nov. 23, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet 14 /N VCNTOR J/M N YERKOV/Ch A TTO if NEKS May 11, 1943. s. YERKOVICH PHONOGRAPH Filed Nov. 23, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR Juno/v YER/(O V/CH May 11, 1943. s, YERKowcH PHONOGRAPH Filed Nov. 23, 1940 16 Sheets-Sheet l6 H \QQSQRY tukixb K m kwbbqfii vkk C Yak kw D M W w w T K Km, ukwm Am M m r m Wad 96m 00 uvwml V T 2 m N A |Y 5m m U am Na .0 M v: m u N Rm mwnL L unn Patented May 11, 1943 PHONOGRAPH Simon Yerkovich, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Dictaphone Corporatio corporation oi New Yo n, New York, N. Y., a rk Application November 23, 1940, Serial No. 366,849

39 Claims.

This invention relates to machines or apparatus for translating vibrations between a record medium and a vibratable medium, and has especial adaptation to an apparatus of this character for translating vibrations of audio-frequency. The embodiment of the invention herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings is a dictating and/or transcribing machine, and while the invention was conceived and developed and reduced to practice in connection with the design and manufacture of a dictating and/r transcribing machine, and while some of the features of the invention are particularly adaptable to such a machine, some of the features of invention are not limited to such a machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus designed for the effective use of an endless flexible record loop which has many advantages over inflexible record elements in the form of cylinders or discs which are used in many types of vibration translating machines. The record element consists of an endless loop of thin filmlike material such as acetate which is capable of having formed thereon a record groove by an embossing or cutting stylus. Such record elements are not readily injured, deformed, or torn, and need not be placed in protective containers. They are easily handled, easily stored, may be sent through the mails, and, because of their inexpensive character, may be used for only one recording and then kept as a permanent record.

A further object of this invention is to provide for an efficient and practical means of mounting such a flexible loop in position for cooperative engagement with the translating device.

It is another object of this invention to provide, in such a mounting device, means for its ready adjustment to facilitate the removal and replacement of a record loop.

In machines for translating vibrations to and from a record medium, provision is made for the removable mounting of a record in cooperative position with the translating device and for causing relative motion of the record and translating device.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide for a safety control of the motion causing means responsive to the operation of removal or placement of a record. In vibration translating machines, provision is usually made for moving the translating device. such as the stylus in a sound recording and reproducing machine, into and out of cooperative engagement with the record.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide automatic control for the disposition of the translating device in this respect responsive to the operation of removing a record from the machine.

In machines of this character which are designed for both recording and reproduction of vibrations, provision is made for conditioning the vide for the automatic control of this condition- I ing operation responsive to operation of removal of a record.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a visual indicating means responsive to the removal of a record from the machine.

It is also an object of the invention to provide for the automatic cessation of the traversing movement of a traversable translating device upon its arrival at the limit of its range of traversing movement, and to provide visual indication to the operator that the limit of traversing movement has been reached.

Dictating and transcribing machines are provided with means for backspacing the traversable stylus head. In the machine shown and described herein, this backspacing means in power operated. One of the objects of this invention is to correlate the backspacing means with the operation of removal of a record element from the machine, and also to correlate it with the arrival of the traversable head at the limit of its range of traversing movement.

It is also an object of this invention to correlate for the proper operation of the machine and for safety purposes, by interlocking and control means, the backspacing means, the means for moving the translating device into and out of cooperative engagement with the record element, and means for conditioning the translating device for recording or reproduction, and a visual indicator, with each other and with the operation of removal and placement of a record element, and with the arrival of a traversable translating device at the limit of its range of traversing movement.

Other objects and advantages and features of this invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings of the invention and claims.

Several inventions are disclosed in the descrip- Figure 3 is an elevational view of the left end of the machine with the cover removed;

Figure 4 shows a transverse vertical section of the machine taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section of the machine taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

' Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section of the machine taken along the line 8-6 of Figure 1; w Figure '7 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line '!1 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a perspective front view showing the machine with cover in place and connected to a wall outlet, and also showing the transducer connected to the machine by a flexible cord;

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional elevational view of the drum driving shaft;

Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the pulley and clutch hub shown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view showing the recording-reproducing head and adjacent parts taken along the line li-ll of Figure 1;

Figure 12 is a rear view of the stylus mount shown in Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a top plan view of the stylus head mount shown in Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a vertical sectional view taken alongithe line I 4-44 of Figure 13;

Figure 15 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line i5-l 5 of Figure 13;

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the stylus head trunnion plate;

Figure 17 is a perspective view of the stylus head cradle;

Figure 18 is a perspective view of the stylus head conditioning trunnion:

Figure 19 is a perspective view of the stylus head ' head conditioning bracket;

Figure 20 is a top plan view showing the backspacer mechanism; taken along the line 20-20 of Figure 1;

Figure 21 is a view similar to Figure 20, showing the parts in a position at the end of a cycle of movement of the backspacing mechanism:

Figure 22 is a left-hand elevation of the backspacing mechanism shown in Figure 20;

Figure 23 is a front elevation of the same;

Figure 24 is a vertical section taken along the line 24-24 of Figure 20;

Figure 25 is a perspective view of the backspacing mechanism viewed from below;

Figure 26 is a perspective front view showing the construction and relationship of the mechanical interlocking members of the machine;

Figure 27 is an exploded perspective of the members shown in the central portion of Figure Figure 28 is a top plan view of the transducer; Figure 29 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the line 2929 of Figure 28;

asraaaa Figure 30 is a top plan view of the transducer with the cover removed;

Figure 31 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 3l-3I of Figure 29;

Figure 32 is a transverse vertical section of the transducer taken along the line 32-32 of Figure 29;

" vFigure 33 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along the line 33-33 of Figure 30;

Figure 34 is a perspective front view showing the limit switch assembly and the clutch control switch assembly, and the mechanism by which they are operated;

Figures 35 to 38 inclusive show sequentially the relative positions assumed by the leaves of the limit switch assembly during its operation; Figure 39 is a perspective front view showing the main frame elements of the machine;

Figure 40 is a perspective rear view of the drum end casting;

Figure 41 is a perspective rear view of the anvil supporting casting; v Figure 42 is a perspective front view of the drum shaft mounting with the drums and the drum end casting shown in phantom lines; and

Figure 43 is a wiring diagram showing the electrical elements of the machine and their electrical connections.

In all of the figures of the drawings, the machine is shown in solid lines in the neutral position.

In the following description, the words front and rear and forward and rearward are used relative to the front of the machine which is toward the observer in Figure 1. The words right and left and rightward and leftward" are used from the standpoint of an observer looking toward the front of the machine. The word translating has been used to describe the operation of setting up vibrations in correspondence to a record of vibrations or making a record of vibrations in correspondence to vibrations received. 'The word transducer has been used to mean a combination microphone and speaker.

Base and cover The machine ismounted on a rectangular base plate ll, preferably made of aluminum. A removable cover l2 (Figure 1) having the shape shown in Figure 8 fits down over the base plate ii for closing the machine and protecting it from dirt and accidental contact with external objects. Angle-iron cleats l4 (Figure 1) secured across the inner faces of end walls i3 of the cover adjacent the lower edges thereof engage the upper face of the base plate II when the cover is lowered into position serving to support it on the base plate with the lower edges of the cover walls in horizontal registry with the under face of the base plat H.

Motor and drive An electric motor l5 (Figure 3) and a gear housing i 6. which is secured to the motor by means of bolts ii, are flexibly mounted upon the base plate I i in a manner to permit limited movement of the motor and gear housing both vertically and laterally with respect to the base. A bracket l8 bolted to the outer end of the motor i5 is formed at its lower edge with an inwardly extending horizontal flange, I9, the two apertured ends of which are fitted with clamp rings 20 and through which project studs 2i rigidly mounted in the base plate II. The lower ends of tension springs 22 are secured in the clamp rings 23, and the upper ends of these springs are retained in a circumferential groove about the lower ends of adjustable nuts 23 threaded on the upper ends of the studs 2| and locked in position by lock nuts 24.

The gear housing I6 is formed with an integral depending bracket 25 having at its lower end a horizontal flange 26 disposed in the central vertical plane of th motor. This flange is apertured to encircle a stud 21 mounted on the base plate II, and a spring 23 similar to the springs 22 is similarly secured at its lower end to a clamp ring 23 and at its upper end to an adjusting nut 30 threaded on the upper end of the stud 21 and locked in position by a lock nut 3|.

Since the pull of the belting by which the motor transmits power to the machine is in an upward direction when the motor is in operation, as will be presently described, the tension in the spring 23 will be decreased and may even under some conditions of operation be converted to compression. At the same time the tension in the springs 22 may be increased. This spring mounting of the motor and gear housing effectively dampens, with respect to the base plate and the operating parts of the machine carried by the base plate, any vibrations of the motor due to improper balance of the armature or otherwise. A motor shaf t 32 carries a cooling fan 33 and is connected to a shaft 34 journalled in the gear housing by means of a sleeve coupling 35.

A horizontal shaft 36, also journalled in the gear housing It, is rotated by a reducing worm gear engagement with the shaft 34. Mounted on the projecting end of the shaft 36 is a double-grooved pulley 31.

The machine records sound by embossing a sound groove on a record loop 38 of flexible material carried by an upper horizontal drum 39 and a lower horizontal drum 4|! (Figures 6 and 42). The drum 39 is rigidly mounted upon and rotates with a main drive shaft 4| which is journalled in bearings in two vertical plate bulkheads 42 and 43 (Figures 1, 2, and 39) which are secured to the base plate II and constitute the mounting means for many of the parts of the machine. Th main shaft 4| is also journalled in a bearing 44 (Figure 2) in a vertically disposed end casting 45 (Figure 40) which projects through an opening 45a in the end wall |3 of the cover |2 so that its outer end face I04 is flush with the outer face of the cover end wall |3 (Figures 1 and 8). The end casting 45 is held in position by a horizontal casting 46 (Figures 2, 39, and 41) to which it is secured by machine screws 41a, the casting 46 being in turn rigidly secured to the bulkhead 43 in a position between the two drums 33 and 40 (see also Figure 6). The shaft 4| is suitably shouldered to have end thrust engagement with the bearing in the bulkhead 43 and the bearing 44, whereby it is prevented from endwise displacement.

Clutch On the left end of the shaft 4|, as viewed in Figure 1, is fixed a bearing sleeve 41 upon which rotates a double-grooved pulley 48 (see Figure 9). Referring to Figures 1 and 3, it will be seen that the pulley 43 i driven from the pulley 31 by means of a belt 49 which is do'uble-reeved about these two pulleys. Proper tension in the belt 49 is maintained by means of an idler pulley 53 carried at the outer end of an arm 3| which is pivotally mounted on the bulkhead 42 at 52 and urged resiliently upward by a spring 33.

Power is transmitted from the pulley 43 to the shaft 4| by means of the clutch mechanism shown in Figures 9 and 10. The pulley 43 carries an annular toothed clutch jaw 54 secured in rigid relationship with the pulley 43 by means of a press-fitted retainer band 55. The pulley 43 is held in position longitudinally with respect to the shaft 4| by a ring nut 56 threaded upon the end of the shaft. A shaft 51 slidably fits within a bore 53 of the shaft 4|. At the outer end of the shaft 51 is rigidly secured a clutch hub 59 in the rim of which is fastened by means of a screw 63 a clutch tooth 6| adapted to engage the teeth of the clutch jaw 54.

Through a sleeve 62 which is longitudinally slidably mounted upon the shaft 4|, there is threadably secured a diametral pin 63 which passes through a diametral aperture disposed across the inner end of the shaft 51, thereby locking together in rigid relationship the sleeve 62 and shaft 51. Slots 63a in the shaft 4| permit limited longitudinal movement of the pin 63, sleeve 62, and shaft 51 with respect to the shaft 4|. When the pin is at one limit of this range of movement. as shown in Figure 9, th tooth 6| is held out of engagement with the jaw 54. When the pin is at the other or right-hand end of the slots 63a, the tooth 6| is in engagement with the jaw 54, and the pulley 48 has a driving connection with the shaft 4|.

The sleeve 62 is shifted along the shaft 4| see Figure 26) by means of a yoke 64 carrying follower lugs 65 engaging a circumferential groove 66 in the sleeve, this yoke being pivotally mounted on a U-shaped bracket 61 see also Figures 4 and 5) which is bolted to the bulkhead 43. Referring to Figures 4 and 26, a stationary shaft 69 is secured to one of the arms of the bracket 61. The yoke 64 is formed with a lower U-shaped extension 63, to the outer end of which is riveted a lever arm 10, this lever arm and the three legs of the yoke 64 having bores by which they are rotatively mounted upon the stationary shaft 63. The lever arm 10 carries two headed pins II and 12 which engage slotted openlugs 13 and 14 respectively see also Figures 1 and 9) formed in the upper ends of push rods 13 and 16.

It will be apparent that when the left-hand push rod 15 is elevated, the clutch mechanism is operated to connect the pulley 48 with the shaft 4| by means of the clutch tooth SI and jaw 54. effecting rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow Figure 6) of the shaft 4| and of the upper drum 39, which is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 4|, as above described. In this manner the record loop 33 is caused to move in an endless path about the upper and lower drums in the direction indicated by the arrous in Figure 6. When the right-hand push rod I6 is elevated. the clutch mechanism is operated to disconnect the pulley 43 from the drive shaft 4| to stop rotation of the shaft and the upper drum 33 and movement of the record loop 38. The lower drum, which is idly carried on its shaft, is mounted in a manner to afford the requisite tension in the record loop to cause the upper drum 39 to move the loop about thr two drums.

Drum mount Referring to Figure 42 and also to Figures 2. 6, '7, 39, 40, and 41, the drum 40 is rotatably mounted upon a stationary shaft 11. The left end of this shaft is seated in a horizontally discenter line of the aperture, also-serve to hold the shaft in tight contact with 'the lower wall of the aperture, definitely fixing, the vertical relationship of the shaft with the slide plate I9.

This slide plate is vertically movable between guide blocks 8|, which are secured by screws to the base of the bulkhead 43. The right end of the shaft 11 is likewise mounted in a similar aperture 82 in a slide plate 83 vertically movable between guide blocks 84, which are secured by screws to an inner face on the end casting 45, and is similarly adjustable within the aper ture 82 by means of set screws 85.

The horizontal plane in which lies the axis of the lower drum 40 is always parallel to the axis of the upper drum 89 irrespective of the distance between the two axes. To establish this relationship, a shaft 86 is mounted with one of its ends in a bearing in the bulkhead 43 through which it projects for a purpose to be later de- 86 has secured rigidly to it two parallel arms 87 adjacent its respective ends, each arm being inset from the vertical plane of the adjacent drum end. The outer ends of these arms are bifurcated to provide open ended slots 88, which receive follower pins 89 rigidly carried by the slide plates I9 and 83'respectively. This mounting of the lower idler drum 40 insures true parallelism of the horizontal planes of the axes of the upper and lower drums, but permits adjustment of the lower drum position by means of the set screws 88 and 85 so that the vertical plane of its axis may be disposed at a slight angle to the vertical plane of the axis of the upper drum for a purpose which will now be explained.

The upper and lower drums are provided at their inner or left-hand ends with small record loop retaining end flanges 98 and 9| respectively. So that the record loop may be readily placed upon the drums and removed therefrom, no flanges are provided at the outer or right-hand ends of the drums. The recording and reproducing stylus, in embossing and following the record groove on the loop, tends to move the loop longitudinally toward the outer ends of the drums. To overcome this tendency and to insure a definite positioning of the loop with respect to the drums, the inner edge of the loop is held lightly in contact with the flanges 90 and SI by so mounting the lower drum that its axis can be angled in a horizontal plane to establish greater tension in the loop at its inner end than exists at the outer end thereof.

This difference in tension results in the application of a horizontally acting force upon the loop in the direction of the flanges 90 and 9 I, and by a proper adjustment of the set screws 88 and 85 this force can be made just sufl'icient to hold the loop tightly in contact with the flanges. The slide plates I9 and 83 being free to move vertically in the guide blocks 8I and 84, the tension in the record loop is a function of the weight of the lower drum assembly.

The casting 46 (Figures 39 and 41) is a single integral piece of metal comprising a front bar 92, a rear bar 93,three upper tie bars 94, and

as asas three lower tie bars 95, the upper faces of the front and rear bars and the upper tie bars therebetween presenting a smoothly continuous arcuate shape to conform to the contour of the upper drum 39, and the lower faces of these front and rear bars and 93 and of the lower tie bars being similarly shaped to conform to the .contour of the adjacent upper face of the lower drum 48.

The shaft 86, which was above referred to in connection with the description of the means for maintaining parallelism of the axes of the upper and lower drums, is disposed between the upper and lower tie bars 94 and 95 just inside of the front bar 92 (see Figure .6).

An outside face 98 of the rear bar 93 lies slightly inside of the vertical plane tangential to the faces of .the drums (see Figure 6) and serves primarily to prevent inward buckling of the record as it moves endwise of the drums during the operations of removing it from and inserting it in the machine, thereby facilitating its passage without interference over a vertical rear face 91 of the casting 45. The outside face 96 of the rear bar 93 is formed with a channelled guide groove 98 for a purpose to be later described. The outermost face 99 of the front bar 92 is disposed somewhat outside of the vertical plane tangential to the faces of the two drums (see Figure 6), giving it a position with respect to the drums which insures contact therewith of the record loop when the loop is in position ready for operation.

A plate anvil I88 is screw-fastened to the front bar 92 with its outside face substantially in vertical alignment with the outermost face 99 and with its lower edge vertically spaced above the upper edge of the face 99 a sufiicient distance to form a channel-shaped guide groove IOI similar to the guide'groove 98 in the back face 96 of the casting 46. A relatively narrow upper strip I02 of the outside face of the anvil I00 serves as a backing for the record at that point in its path where itis in engagement with the stylus. For the balance of its width, the outside face of the anvil is occupied by a strip of felt I03 inlaid in the body of the anvil. The face of this strip of felt I03 projects very slightly beyond the faces I82 and 99 above and below it. As the loop engages this felt in its approach to the anvil I88, the felt has a dampening effect upon the record, eliminating any vibratory or undulatory motions therein and causing it to pass smoothly and quietly over the anvil.

It will be observed that the end casting 45 (see Figures 39 and 40) has a semi-circular upper face I05, a semi-circular lower face I86 parallel front and rear edge faces I81 and 91, and a vertical end face I84. The semi-circular faces I05 and I06 are aligned with the longitudinally adjacent cylindrical faces of the upper and lower drums 39 and 40, and the rear face 91 and front face I07 of the end casting are aligned with the vertical plane tangential to the drums, so that the end casting 45 acts as a guide when the record is slipped on or off the drums.

Referring to Figures 6 and 42, the lower drum is vertically movable with the slide plates I9 and 83, the movements of which are in unison by virtue of their connection to each other through the shaft 85. Elevation of the slide plate I9 and the slide plate 83, and with them the lower drum, is accomplished by elevation of a lift lever I88, one end of which is pivoted by means of a pin I89 to a lug IIO on the base "plate II, the other free 

